Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National Park | E265

A late-afternoon hike in Glacier National Park seemed simple enough: climb toward the Mount Brown Fire Lookout, watch the sunset, and head back down.But as darkness settled over Mount Brown, 33-year-old Anthony Pollio found himself descending alone through steep, heavily forested terrain. Somewhere in the woods, a grizzly bear was moving through the darkness.In this episode of Disaster Strikes, we examine Anthony Pollio’s final hike, the search-and-rescue operation that followed, and the investigation into what happened on Mount Brown. We also look at a second grizzly bear encounter in Glacier National Park just 25 days later—and the warning signs, environmental conditions, and safety decisions that can turn an ordinary hike through bear country into a life-threatening situation.This episode explores:

• Anthony Pollio’s final hike on Mount Brown
• The Mount Brown Fire Lookout trail in Glacier National Park
• The search for Anthony Pollio
• Grizzly bear attacks and encounters in Glacier
• Why hiking alone after dark can be dangerous
• How to stay safe in grizzly country
• What hikers should know before entering bear habitat

00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro
00:37 Alone After Dark on Mount Brown
02:03 Glacier’s Grizzly Country
03:57 The Mount Brown Trail
05:18 Our Bear Encounters
08:18 Who Was Anthony Pollio?
10:02 A Late Start Up Mount Brown
12:33 A Surprise in the Deadfall
14:32 The Search for Anthony
16:23 How Rare Are Fatal Bear Attacks?
17:59 Another Grizzly Attack, 25 Days Later
20:20 What the Two Attacks Had in Common
24:32 Where Was the Bear?
27:35 Staying Safe in Grizzly Country
34:34 Remembering Anthony PollioReferences — Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National ParkPrimary / Official Sources

1. National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing Hiker.” May 6, 2026.
   NPS — Search Underway for Anthony Pollio
2. National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Missing Hiker and Bear Encounter Victim Identified.” May 9, 2026.
   NPS — Anthony Pollio Identified
3. Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Board of Review. Final investigation into the May 3, 2026 fatal grizzly encounter involving Anthony Pollio on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail. July 2026. The review reconstructed the encounter using physical evidence, DNA, trail conditions and Pollio’s communications and concluded that Pollio likely surprised an adult male grizzly at close range while descending in darkness.
4. National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Hiker Injured by Grizzly Bear at Glacier National Park.” June 2, 2026. Official account of the May 28 Grinnell Glacier Trail attack discussed in the episode.
   NPS — Grinnell Glacier Grizzly Encounter

Reporting & Additional Sources

1. Flathead Beacon. “Report Details Fatal Glacier Park Grizzly Bear Attack.” July 24, 2026. Detailed reporting on the final interagency investigation.
   Flathead Beacon — Fatal Grizzly Investigation
2. Hungry Horse News. “Grizzly Bear Mauling Death in Glacier: A Closer Look at Full Report.” July 24, 2026. Includes details from the final investigation regarding the trail conditions, darkness, deadfall and circumstances of the surprise encounter.
   Hungry Horse News — Full Report Coverage
3. Montana Free Press. “Glacier’s First Fatal Bear Attack in Almost 30 Years Came After Surprise Encounter.” July 24, 2026.
   Montana Free Press — Anthony Pollio Investigation
4. Associated Press. Coverage of Anthony Pollio’s death and Glacier National Park’s first fatal bear attack since 1998. May 2026.
5. People. Interview with Anthony Pollio’s father, Arthur Pollio, including Anthony’s background, his plans to watch the sunset from Mount Brown, and his final communication with his father. May 2026.
6. ABC News / Good Morning America. Interview with Daniel Crago regarding the May 28, 2026 Grinnell Glacier Trail grizzly attack. June 8, 2026.
   ABC News — Daniel Crago Interview
7. Backpacker. “‘Pure Panic’: Glacier Grizzly Attack Survivor Shares the Story of the Rescue That Saved Him.” June 5, 2026.
   Backpacker — Daniel Crago Grizzly Attack
8. Los Angeles Times. Reporting and interview with Daniel Crago following the Grinnell Glacier Trail attack. June 7, 2026.
   Los Angeles Times — Grinnell Glacier Attack

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